A/N: So I was going to just make this a very long one-shot... But it was just way too impossible. So there will be a few chapters. Not too many, though. I hope you enjoy, and please please PLEASE review! :)
He always noticed her.
Walking down the hall with her friends, that beautiful, luscious red hair swinging beautifully behind her, surprising him with a cute smile or a shy wave.
She was smart, really smart, he knew that she was taking multiple AP classes, but she wasn't a nerd. She was soft-spoken and sweet to everyone, even the bullies and the stoners. Her smarts were obvious, but she never boasted or bragged about how advanced she was.
She wasn't part of the "popular" crowd. She didn't load on the makeup and she wasn't a cheerleader and she didn't act fake nice and she didn't have tons of boyfriends. But she always had a smile on her face, and any classroom that she walked into constantly lit up with her presence. Teachers loved her, because she was not only hard-working and extremely gifted, but also sensitive and sweet. All of the students at the high school loved her, because she was so nice and friendly to everyone.
And she was pretty. Well, Will thought that was an understatement. She was the most beautiful girl in the school, in Will's opinion. But she wasn't beautiful in a glamorous, showy way. She had a natural beauty to her, a glowing radiance that resulted from not only looks, but small actions and words too. She wore little to no makeup, but she didn't need it at all. Her skin was fair and creamy, no blemishes or zits in sight. She had big doe amber eyes, framed by long black lashes, despite her beautiful fiery red hair.
She was mesmerizing. And he was lucky. He got to spend one whole hour of every day with her. They had Spanish class together, and he was fortunate enough to sit in the seat right behind her. Thank the universe for his last name. Her hair smelled almost as wonderful as it looked, and as a result he often was distracted in class, but it was worth it.
She always noticed him.
Out in the back fields throwing around a football with his friends, or talking animatedly at lunch. She couldn't deny that he always caught her attention. He was cute, that much was obvious. His thick brown curls gave him an adorable look, and his smiling face was more than handsome.
And he was talented. She had seen him perform with the Glee Club; she could see his potential quite clearly. He could easily make it to the big time. And when he sang, she secretly swooned. She watched him sing a soulful ballad, his voice melting into the microphone like warm chocolate, and she felt like she was the only one in the huge auditorium, like he was singing the beautiful song just for her.
He was cute, he could sing, and he was smarter than he realized. Emma could tell he didn't care as much about his education – he was still somewhat in the trap of worrying about his reputation and being cool. He hadn't yet realized what Emma had known for a long time: that the only way to be cool was to be yourself.
But Will wasn't a douchebag like the rest of the guys at McKinley. She could tell when she saw him in the hallways, or talked to him in Spanish class. He was a true gentleman, always holding doors open for others, always offering his assistance, always genuine, always sincere. That was rare for a high school boy.
It was senior year, and Emma was trying to enjoy every bit of it. There were times when she really didn't like school and the irritating shallowness of the majority of the kids, but for the most part, going to school was enjoyable for her. She liked her classes, and she liked her friends. She especially liked her Spanish class… for reasons need not be stated out loud. Spanish was Will's favorite part of the day, too… for the same reason that need not be stated out loud.
And on a beautiful Monday morning, both Will and Emma were already in a good mood when third period rolled around. Emma walked into class with three minutes to spare – she liked being early, and she liked the quietness of the classroom before all the rambunctious students began to trickle in. She couldn't understand how some people rushed into class right as the bell was ringing – the thought alone made her anxious as hell. But that was just how Emma was. She liked everything to be in order, and messy or unpredictable things made her very nervous.
Will walked in a couple minutes later, shouting a hello to a friend down the hall before walking into the cool air-conditioned classroom with a smile on his handsome face. She was dutifully studying flashcards for their quiz that day when he walked in.
"Hey Emma." He shot her a smile as he slipped off his backpack, dropping it to the floor, and sliding into the seat behind Emma, running his fingers through his curls.
"Hi." Her voice was soft, and her smile was shy.
"What are you studying for?"
"Our quiz today on imperfect tense." She giggled at his shocked face.
"I completely forgot about that!"
"Here, I'll quiz you." She twisted all the way around in her seat, smiling at Will's forgetfulness.
"Thanks, Emma, you're a life saver." His gratefulness was evident in his face.
"Yeah, sure!" She began to quiz him, helping him with specific verbs and encouraging him with her sweet smile.
They were acquaintances. They didn't hang out with the same crowds, but they enjoyed each other's presences immensely, and they both loved talking to each other. And with time, they considered each other friends. Good friends. They always talked in Spanish class, no matter how many evil glares Señor Martinez sent their way. This was particularly embarrassing for Emma; she was typically a quiet girl and was hardly ever caught talking in class. But their conversations were vivid and interesting, and they both always looked forward to Spanish, because they loved talking to each other.
Flirting would be an understatement. Their conversations were chock full of lame jokes, giggles on Emma's part, chuckles on Will's part, light teasing, flirty slaps on the arm, and a lot of whispers and laughter. They grew close as the year progressed, and soon their friends began to mingle. Sometimes Will ate lunch with Emma and her soft-spoken friends, and often Emma sat with Will's group, which consisted mostly of the Glee Club. Show choir intrigued Emma, and not because they were some of the most popular kids at the school. She loved to sing, but she would never sing in public in front of a huge crowd. After discovering that Emma liked to sing, he often tried to convince her to join Glee, but she refused. As fun as it sounded, she really didn't like the spotlight.
She did enjoy the members of the Glee club, though. They were some of the most accepting kids in the school, and she liked their unique, creative personalities. After learning of her taking to singing, they also tried to get her to join, to no avail of course. They knew her pretty face and cute personality would be a wonderful asset to the team, but they couldn't force her. She was more comfortable just hanging out with them in a casual setting.
Before Emma knew it, prom season had arrived, and the whole school was abuzz. People were getting asked left and right, and people were scrambling to find dates.
"Are you going?" Emma had asked him casually one day in class.
"I don't know… haven't really thought about it," was his vague answer. In response to his follow-up question, she shrugged, being just as vague as him.
I don't want to go with anyone that's not you, her thoughts were screaming inside her head. But Will had lots of female friends. Why in the hell would he ask her? He would most likely ask someone from his Glee club. And as prom loomed closer and closer, Emma was surer and surer that he was not going to ask her.
Another year of being lonely, she said to herself during a particularly boring Spanish lesson. But that was a weird thing. Because she didn't feel lonely. Senior year was going by scarily quickly, but she was enjoying it more than ever. A lot of it was due to a certain new adorable male friend that she had grown really close to over the months. He wasn't her boyfriend, that was for sure. Not even close. Emma was almost positive he didn't have feelings for her in that way. But she felt… alive when she was with him. He brought out the best in her, and she always had fun with him.
"Emma?" Señor Martinez's deep voice broke her out of her thoughts. She blushed as she realized the entire class was staring at her.
"Um, sorry, what?"
"I was saying, since class is almost over, Will here has a surprise for us."
"Oh…" Interested, Emma turned around to look at Will questioningly. He grinned back at her, stood up, and held out his hand to help her up. Confused, Emma took it and he led her to a stool at the front of the room. She sat down, very dazed, not knowing what was going on. Had something happened while she was lost in thought? Why was Will making her sit in front of the class?
She turned her attention toward Will, who walked over to the teacher's desk to retrieve his guitar. She smiled at the sight, but was still very confused. Why did Will have his guitar in class?
"I have a little something I'd like to say to you, Emma," Will announced with a huge smile. "And I thought, what better time to say it than now?" Emma smiled back, raising her eyebrows questioningly. He didn't respond to her confused look, just gave a small chuckle and began to strum his guitar. After a few chords, he began to sing, and his voice was like warm soup on a cold winter's day. His deep, tender voice filled up the small classroom and brought smiles to everyone's faces, but no one's grin was as big as Emma's.
I like the way you sound in the morning
We're on the phone and without a warning
I realize your love is the best soundI have ever heard
I like the way I can't keep my focus
I watch you talk, you didn't notice
I hear the words, but all I can think is
We should be together
Every time you smile, I smile
And every time you shine, I'll shine for you
Whoa, I'm feeling you baby
Don't be afraid to
Jump then fall
Jump then fall into me
Baby, I'm never gonna leave you
Say that you wanna be with me too
'Cause I'm gonna stay through it all
So jump then fall
As Will serenaded Emma, his voice hypnotized her, and his puppy dog eyes made her look at him almost with longing. She bit her lip, trying to ignore the feelings that he was stirring up inside of her, and could not take her eyes off of him.
Well, I like the way your hair falls in your face
You got the keys to me, I love each freckle on your face
Oh, I've never been so wrapped up, honey
I like the way you're everything I ever wanted
I had time to think it over
And all I can say is come closer
Take a deep breath and jump
Then fall into me
'Cause every time you smile, I smile
And every time you shine, I'll shine for you
Whoa, I'm feeling you baby
Don't be afraid to
Jump then fall
Jump then fall into me
Baby, I'm never gonna leave you
Say that you wanna be with me too
'Cause I'm gonna stay through it all
So jump then fall.
When Will strummed the last note on his acoustic guitar, the class erupted into whistles and cheers. Will took a humble bow, and with a smile bigger than ever, he turned toward Emma, taking off his guitar and laying it gently on the ground. He approached her, sitting on the stool, unable to stop smiling, and he took a deep breath.
"Emma, will you go to prom with me?" He pulled out a beautiful bouquet of flowers from behind his back and held them out to her.
Speechless, Emma covered her mouth with her hands, trying to stifle a small gasp that had erupted out of her throat. Her heart beat rapidly and it felt like it was going to explode out of her chest. Was this really happening? Her cheeks were shining and red, and she smiled in disbelief. She nodded rapidly, her smile huger than ever, and finally found her voice.
"Yes," she squeaked out, letting out a little laugh. "Yes, of course!" She stood up, took the flowers, and they hugged, Emma's cheeks hurting from smiling so much. When they parted, she laughed again, still in disbelief from what had just happened. The class applauded and cheered; they all had watched Emma and Will flirt during class all year long. Then, the bell rang, signaling the end of class, and the students gathered up their things and trickled out of the classroom.
Emma couldn't stop staring at the colorful flowers, so amazed at what Will had done for her. She had to repeat what had just happened in her head to herself over and over again to convince herself that it wasn't just a fantasy.
Will Schuester just asked me to prom. I have a date to the prom. I am going to prom with Will. Will just serenaded me in front of the entire class. He sang an adorable Taylor Swift song to me and stared at me with his beautiful blue eyes and played his guitar. Will is going to prom with me. I am going to prom with Will. We are going to prom together.
Emma smiled involuntarily into her wonderful-smelling bouquet of flowers. The sweet scent would stay in her mind for many, many years, always reminding her of this glorious moment.